NEW YORK—Luxury interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield knows a thing or two about putting together a beautiful scene. He has designed custom interiors for the regal and wealthy around the world, drawing inspiration from nature in pursuit of timeless beauty.
When Mr. Bradfield saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on opening night in Lincoln Center, he described the experience as a “splendid evening.”
“It was very exciting and the talent is extraordinary,” he added. “Each choreographed piece, the rehearsals that must go into it, it’s just phenomenal!”
As a designer, he was particularly taken by the dynamic colors of the performance.
“Well, I think there’s a lot of energy. The color really represents for me energy. The contrasts are very exciting and I think very unusual. They represent China,” he said.
Some of Mr. Bradfield’s projects have taken him to China, but his work has mostly been with interiors, so he had not come across classical Chinese dance. “This was very beautiful and a revelation,” he said.
“I think this was spectacular, and I give it full marks. It’s like watching poetry in motion.”
Speaking of poetry, there was a particular dance called “Poets of the Orchid Pavillion” that stuck with him. Male dancers leaped and spun with strength and elegance. They portrayed poets of the year 353, playing a drinking game that resulted in a famous anthology of 37 poems. The dancers used white fans to mimic brushes and elegant strokes of calligraphy.
Although it was not poetry that Mr. Bradfield could read and understand, it was poetry he could experience and feel.
“I loved the calligraphy they have,” he said. “There was one particular segment that had a poem written up on screen. I found that very beautiful and very moving; I wish I understood it. And they were so athletic.”
Mr. Bradfield said the experience was very unique, and that it would be wonderful if Shen Yun could be performed in China one day.
In today’s China, much of the traditional culture has been destroyed since the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949. New York-based Shen Yun’s mission is to revive this divinely bestowed culture and its values through music and dance.
“I hope for the country that they will have a greater understanding truly for freedom, for freedom of talent and creativity.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Catherine Yang
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
